The care of potted plants requires regular watering in appropriate amounts. Plants that are left to dry will die. Plants that receive excessive water will also die. Where a potted plant is placed at ground level or waist level, then it is possible for a knowledgeable person to regulate the watering of individual pots. However, in many cases persons will wish to hang the pots at or above head level typically on the porch of a house or the balcony of an apartment or such locations. When this happens, the care person, no matter how knowledgeable will have great difficulty in determining the water status of a pot. Feeling the earth in the pot with a hand is not always possible, and is uncertain as to its reliability. Watering such pots at regular schedules is also not acceptable. Some plants require more water and others less.
Accordingly it is desirable to provide a plant care device by means of which an owner or plant care person can determine the water status of a particular pot, and replenish water or not, as the case may be. In the past, devices have been proposed which attempt to measure the water content of the soil. However these devices are relatively expensive, and may not always be reliable. In addition, if such a device is embedded in the soil in a pot, which is hanging at a considerable height, it is not possible to see the reading of the device.
Accordingly, there is a need for a much simpler system for determining the water status of a potted plant, visually, from a distance.
In addition it is desirable that such a device shall be relatively inexpensive, and can be reused over and over again, and does not require any sophisticated technology. Preferably one device will be used with each pot, and left in position throughout the life of the plant.